New Mexico subcommittee weighs bill to bar federal troops and add emergency voting procedures

A New Mexico House subcommittee on Tuesday debated legislation that would add state-level penalties and civil remedies for anyone who “orders, brings, or keeps” troops or armed persons at polling places, and would codify emergency voting procedures to keep elections running during wildfires, floods and other disasters.

The bill’s sponsor, identified in the hearing as the senator presenting the measure, said the proposal is modeled on federal prohibitions and is intended to provide state enforcement if federal authorities do not follow federal law. “New Mexico has the best election administration in the nation,” the sponsor said, citing the MIT Election Performance Index. He said recent statements from federal officials about increased federal oversight prompted the measure.

The bill would make violating the interference prohibition a fourth-degree felony and create a civil cause of action that the attorney general, the secretary of state, an impacted county clerk or an intimidated voter could bring.…